The Prodigies War

The faint murmur lingered in everyone’s heart, dragged them into a heavy mood, and provoked a feeling that choked their throats.

Who is she?

When everyone looked up again, the area was once again filled with blood fog. The skeleton hill and the headless figure on it had long disappeared.

“If you all leave, who will remember me, Mo Yang?”

Inexplicably, Lin Xun recalled what the strand of will left by Burning Immortal Chen Linkong had said in Burning Sky Valley–

“Back when we left the Ancient Wasteland Domain, I was worried that we would run into danger on the trip so I left my legacy and fortunes here so that even if we died in a foreign land, the inheritance can be passed onto the next generation.”

These were Chen Linkong’s original words.

Now, hearing the words of the woman who called herself ‘Mo Yang,’ Lin Xun couldn’t help but think–

Does she mean Chen Linkong and the experts who had left the Ancient Wasteland Domain?

“Mo Yang! There’s a record in our North God Holy District that at the beginning of the ancient era, there was once an overwhelmingly talented Battle Emperor named Mo Yang who had conquered all heavens and hells. During her time, she stood alone at the top, and all of her peers all paled in comparison!” Zhen Yunfeng suddenly exclaimed.

Battle Emperor Mo Yang!

This ancient secret shook everyone’s heart. Could it be that the blood-clad, headless figure they had just seen was an ancient-era Battle Emperor?

For one to be crowned ‘Battle Emperor,’ they had to be a heaven-defying figure that could dominate an entire era.

Standing above her peers and leading an era, she herself had been a legend.

“But…why would she appear here… And without her head at that?” Mo Tianhe gasped.

The others were also in shock. That’s right, how could a Battle Emperor even lose her head?

No one knew the answer, but this experience made them even more aware of the bizarreness and ominousness of the Underworld River Forbidden Zone. The secrets revealed had only been the tip of the iceberg, but they were already beyond frightening.

The treasure ship continued to move through the heavy fog full of unknown. It was as if they were traveling through buried secrets that had accumulated for ages.

No one noticed that at the rear of the ship, a silhouette sat there in a blood-stained dress, as blurry as an illusion in the blood-colored fog.

Lin Xun seemed to have sensed something and couldn’t help but look back.

However, he saw nothing. The figure was clearly there, but nothing appeared in his vision!

Afterwards, the group reached the other side of the river without coming across anything unusual.

As the fog fell behind and the nine blood-red suns appeared in the sky, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

In the distance, mountains lay dormant with undulating peaks.

Without any hesitation, everyone boarded the shore, eager to leave this mysterious place that was shrouded in blood as soon as possible.

Upon leaving, a feather-like sigh rang in Lin Xun’s ears.

He abruptly turned around.

Behind him, the blood fog filled the air. He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling that in the depths of the fog, there was a pair of eyes gazing at him.

But when he carefully perceived it, there was nothing but that churning blood fog.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Xingyao turned around with a puzzled look.

“Nothing.” Lin Xun shook his head and followed the group.

But just as quickly, his heart thumped, because at some point, an old and dull copper ring had been hung on the hair around his ear.

It was unadorned and only the size of a coin.

Lin Xun’s back dripped with cold sweat. The copper ring had been bound in his own hair completely unbeknownst to him!

Who did this?

If they wanted, they could have easily killed me!

Lin Xun imperceptibly glanced at Ji Xingyao, Zhen Yunfeng, and the others, and saw that they were all oblivious to this.

Was it her?

He inexplicably remembered the figure sitting on the hill of bones in a blood-stained dress…

Lin Xun took down the copper ring and sensed it, but other than a bone-chilling coldness, nothing else could be felt.

Not long after, Ji Xingyao’s Divine Light Guide finally worked as normal, once again guiding a path.

Everyone was relieved.

In this Underworld River Forbidden Zone, the most worrying thing was losing one’s way.

“Fellow Daoist Zhen, sorry to bother you, but can you tell me more about Battle Emperor Mo Yang?” Lin Xun walked up to Zhen Yunfeng.

The others were a little dazed upon hearing his question and looked at Zhen Yunfeng.

They were also curious as to why such a Battle Emperor who had amazed an era would end up in that bizarre blood fog without her head.

However, to their disappointment, Zhen Yunfeng also knew very little. He only knew her title and nothing detailed about her deeds or origin.

“But one thing for certain is that any existence worshiped as a Battle Emperor must have opened up a path of their own! Since ancient times, there have been many Dao paths passed down to generations, and if we trace back to their origins, which of them wasn’t carved out by sages with great wisdom and great perseverance?!

“Some paths have been forgotten over the years, while some have survived to this day. Like our North God Holy District or Fairy Ji’s Unsolved Mystery Sword Alms, all of them had their own clan inheritance.

“These inheritances are the paths opened up by the ancestors of the sect and are a blessing for all generations, so that when we first embark on the path of cultivation, we will benefit endlessly from it and won’t have to worry about going astray!” Zhen Yunfeng’s eyes carried a touch of reverence.

The others agreed with his speech.

Meanwhile, Lin Xun looked somewhat strange, but he felt greatly moved and proud.

Because he had opened up his own unprecedented path just like those sages of the ancient era, and what he lacked was nothing more than further exploration.

If he became a Saint one day, then he could found his own Dao system and teach it to all beings, passing down his knowledge and experiences. Then his name would resound in history and be admired for eternity!

He would not follow the paths that had been paved by godly predecessors like Battle Emperor Mo Yang.

For future generations of cultivators, those inheritances were precious, but they were also a constraint!

In Lin Xun’s opinion, the ancestors’ experience and inheritances could be studied and learned from, but if one desired unprecedented achievements on their path, they first had to create their own path.

Learning and reflecting on knowledge was not about imitation.

Rather, it was about comprehending and deducing, and ultimately applying that wisdom to creating one’s own path. Only then could one have the opportunity to surpass the predecessors.

This was what they meant by: Your path lasts if you learn from me, and ends if you imitate me.

……

Following Ji Xingyao, everyone moved forward.

Along the way, they had encountered several challenges, but all had been resolved without any danger.

Several hours later, Mo Tianhe suddenly spoke out in a daze, “Why do I feel that ever since we crossed that long river of blood fog, the perils we encountered along the way have been much less dangerous? There hasn’t been a single one that’s actually fatal.”

The others thought about it and nodded in agreement.

“Isn’t this a good thing? A fatal situation would be a misfortune rather than a blessing, so our luck is quite good.” Zhen Yunfeng laughed.

Is it really just good luck? Lin Xun pondered as he rubbed the aged copper ring.

“Right ahead!” said Ji Xingyao suddenly with a hint of joy.

Everyone looked up and saw that in an extremely distant place stood two majestic, bare mountains. They looked like a pair of portals arching over heaven and earth.

“Last time, it was in that canyon that I found the Divine Underworld Blood Well. The Toady you were talking about was trapped in it,” Ji Xingyao told Lin Xun through voice transmission.

Lin Xun’s heart jumped, and he nodded to show that he understood.

Without delay, the group moved forth with anticipation.

The Divine Underworld Blood Well was a land where heaven-defying fortunes had been sealed forever. There had been experts who had visited this place in the ancient era, but without exception, they had all returned empty-handed.

Simply because it had been impossible to break the seal on the fortunes!

But times had changed. In this unprecedented great age, all the heavenly fortunes that had been sealed would be released!

The group traveled through the heavy red mist, excited but vigilant. The more heavenly a fortune was, the more dangerous it would be to obtain.

As seasoned supreme figures, they knew that when one sought to obtain a fortune, they had to bear the risk that came with it.

After traveling for a while, a dry well appeared.

It was about ten feet round. Its stone wall was mottled with blood, emitting a palpitatingly cold and bizarre aura.

Zhen Yunfeng opened a dilapidated scroll, and after a brief survey, he laughed, “Not bad, this is indeed the entrance to the Blood Underworld!”

Swish!

A figure suddenly flew out from the mist lightning fast. When everyone finally reacted, they had jumped into the well and disappeared.

“Damn it!”

Still startled by what had just happened, everyone’s face became gloomy. Clearly, someone had just beaten them to it and entered the Divine Underworld Blood Well.

The terrifying thing was they had not once sensed that person’s breath.

Who was that?

Lin Xun’s eyes flashed with a strange gleam as he had felt something familiar from that figure. And then it dawned on him, it was that big black bird with the black pot!

So that fellow is here too?

“We should not delay. Let’s go.” Zhen Yunfeng took a deep breath and strode to the well. After a brief survey, he took out a purple jade cauldron and equipped it as a shield before leaping into the well.

Obviously, he was worried that there would be an ambush under the well and had his guard up just in case.

Seeing this, everyone else followed suit.

Lin Xun was the last to enter. The instant he jumped into the well, there was a vibration between his fingers.

It was the ancient copper ring!

However, when he carefully sensed it, the copper ring remained unresponsive, and there was nothing abnormal about it.

But this only made him more certain that there was something odd about this ring!

“Quick! It’s right there!”

Not long after Lin Xun’s group disappeared, a group of cultivators came matching through the entrance of the fog filled canyon.